Cat Stevens, Recording quailty...MFSL vs A&M???

kenscott30 · « **on:** 10 Jun 2006, 03:33 am »

Dear List,

Well political views aside I like his music. I have brought my system back from the dead and I have been looking for some (hard to find) MFSL cds, sting, and cat stevens. I finally found a Tea for the tillerman on ebay for cheap...Sting and the police were a different story :^(.

Anyway. How are the A&M digital re-mastered CD's compared to the MFSL ones? I see a 3 CD box set from MFSL that is a fortune and a 'digitally re-mastered' 4CD box set with everything that he ever did for like 45.00 on ebay from A&M.

I want to listen to his music, I can't afford to just buy the MFSL versions. But I can get the A&M re-mastered ones.... Are the MFSL that much better? I love the Tea for the tillerman MFSL so it makes me nervous to just start buying the A&M ones.

Thanks in advance!

Ken

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Jun 2006, 03:50 am »

From allmusic.com....Cat Steven's box set........

I mostly have his lp's....but I did purchase this best of... collection. Sounds very good...but I don't have any of the MFSL ones to compare.[/list:u]

kenscott30 · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Jun 2006, 03:53 am »

Thanks lonewolfny42....The gutiar on Hard headed women and wild world are pretty amazing. You can really hear the pic across the strings on the MFSL. I have to buy a record player and make a pre-amp before I start looking for him on LPs.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Jun 2006, 03:58 am »

Further info....used from $29.95... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005QXY9/qid=1149911717/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/104-8713789-6779128?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Jun 2006, 06:12 am »

I used to have the MFSL CD's, but sold them all because the cheapo 70's LP's just blew them away. I bought his entire 70's output for like $10 on LP and then flipped the MFSL CD's for a lot more $$$ on epay. For those that have both a turntable and CD player, he is another one of those artists where if you have a TT and are after the best SQ, there is no need to ever buy his CDs.

Michael

Digi-G · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Jun 2006, 03:15 pm »

I haven't heard the MFSL versions (or vinyl versions for that matter). But the remastered CD's sound really good. I've got the "Best of" and "Tea/Tillerman". Both (especially Tea) sound amazing. All of the acoustic guitars and pianos sound very lifelike with LOTS of dynamics (i.e. drums). I can't imagine that the MFSL versions sound that much better, but if the price was right I'd get them. After hearing the remasters I wouldn't pay the $30-$50+ that the MFSL's usually fetch.

BobM · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Jun 2006, 07:30 pm »

Cat Stevens on vinyl is definitely the way to go. His recording quality was very, very good for the time. I use them as showpieces for people who like rock and folk type music.

Just pick up a few in the dollar bins and away you go.

Enjoy,
Bob

kenscott30 · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Jun 2006, 03:51 am »

Thanks.......you S.O.Bs....I bought a $1.00 cat steven record, tea for the tillerman...Took it to my local hifi shop, 600.00 record player and some huge B&W speakers later and I was hooked. I bought a few records and a Ebay record player.....So now I am into vinyl after 10 years of fighting it....I think that I will be glad that I got into it..Maybe after I finish cleaning my 50 (new to me, flea market) records....

Thanks folks. I am moving soon but give me a month or so and I will do a little review of CD vs record...

Cheers!

Ken